Favorite Schools

Favorite Teams

Drivers in Cranford urged to leave space for emergency vehicles when parking

Hundreds sled on popular at Echo Lake Park in Mountaiside on Jan. 22, 2014

The hill here off of Springfield Avenue in Mountainside is one of five sanctioned sites in the Union County park system for sledding. The others are Briant Park in Summit, Lenape Park in Cranford (in areas away from the waterways), Meisel Avenue Detention Basin in Springfield, and Unami Park in Garwood.

CRANFORD — Motorists are being urged by police here to pay attention when parking their vehicles on the street. Cranford Police said that have had to respond to numerous locations where large vehicle could not pass because there are vehicles parked on opposite sides of a roadway creating only a narrow passage. In one incident, there was only about 5 feet of clearance between the vehicles, police said.

With the large amount of snow and ice already narrowing the roads, it is important to pay attention when parking and leave enough access for emergency vehicles to get through, police said. Narrow passageways, which can cause a significant delay in responding in life-threatening emergencies, can easily be prevented.

The average fire engine is 9 feet wide and 26 feet long. When parking a vehicle on a narrow street, always check that enough room is left for a fire engine or ambulance to go through.

Also be aware that parking directly across from a neighbor’s driveway may prevent them from getting out.